Beyond the scalpel: forensic patterns, epistemic limits, and the medico-legal classification of femicide.

objectiveTo synthesize forensic autopsy findings reported in femicide and to evaluate their contribution, limitations, and appropriate use in medico-legal classification.

methodsA structured narrative review was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and ScienceDirect for publications from January 2000 to March 2026. Search terms addressed femicide, gender-related homicide, forensic pathology, autopsy, injury patterns, and forensic evidence. Sources providing forensic, autopsy, injury-pattern, or analytical medico-legal data were included in the main synthesis. Epidemiological and public health studies were retained only for contextual interpretation.

resultsTen forensic or analytical sources were retained for the main narrative synthesis, and ten epidemiological or public health sources were retained for contextual framing. Recurrent findings included overkill, craniofacial and cervical injuries, asphyxial mechanisms, defensive wounds, and weapon-specific patterns. However, these findings were non-specific and did not reliably distinguish intimate partner femicide from non-intimate partner femicide. The Belgrade autopsy series reinforced the importance of domestic setting and firearm use while showing substantial overlap in injury morphology between femicide subtypes.

conclusionFemicide is associated with a recognizable but non-specific forensic profile. Morphology alone cannot establish gender-related motivation or legal classification. Expert interpretation should integrate autopsy findings with crime-scene reconstruction, victim-perpetrator relationship, prior violence, weapon access, and sociobehavioral context. Standardized documentation and integrated medico-legal frameworks may improve forensic consistency, judicial communication, and public health surveillance.